Mr Junior said: ‘The last thing you want to do is run straight into Superman. He was going nowhere but the police station.’

He was in his £500 costume for a community action group event in Sheffield when he spotted trouble. Witness Daniel Mottram said: ‘Our friend in the superhero suit pinned the man up against the wall and held him while the police came. He was fantastic. If we had more like him we wouldn’t have any trouble at all.’

The shoplifter has admitted theft and is due to re-appear at the Sheffield magistrates court later this month. Mr Junior, a security guard, said: ‘When I was younger I always said I wanted to be some sort of Superman and the things I’m doing at the moment it’s like I already am.’

Now, like a true superhero, he has his sights set on being a firefighter. ‘I want to save people,’ he said.